So I'm trying to complete my humble set-up. You might have seen my other newbish posts asking about what to get next. I'm flip-flopping a lot, mostly because the amount I've already spent is making my head spin. Yet I have GAS, so I keep searching.

I'm lacking a tangible polyphonic synth. I have Reaktor, and I plan on buying a decent controller for it at some point (Novation Remote SL MKII), but I feel like since I have all this other neat analog gear, why not complete it all with a nice poly-capable synth?

I've been searching the forums non-stop for about 3 days now, and looking at all sorts of videos on Youtube, and came across the Vermona Perfourmer. It really floored me in this video: Perfourmer + TB-303 I just love that sound. It's exactly what I want, because my style is a little wacky - I love bizarre, wiggly sounds. But I know some people think modular's aren't that great for poly though.

So this will probably be the last piece of gear I buy for a while, having spent so much on my current set-up. It's either this or buy the ReMote MkII to use with Reaktor and an A&H mixer, or the Perfourmer.

i'm digging mine, but am not sure i'm gonna hang onto it, sort of because of my mono/poly... they're similar in their four individual VCOs, though the perfourmer is literally four complete monophonic synths whereas the mono/poly has tune / octave / waveform & level controls for each VCO but they share LFO, EG & filter. regardless, perfourmer does sound great, once you get it tuned up.

i haven't run anything else through mine, but from its manual:

Vermona wrote:The PERFOURMER as a FilterbankThe PERFOURMER has a total of six input jacks for processing external signals with the filters of the PERFOURMER. Each channel has a separate filter input (37) that works parallel to the oscillator of the respective synthesizer channel. Two more input jacks are located on the rear panel of the PERFOURMER (13), that works alternatively to the oscillators signal. Both input jacks are mixed together internally and routed parallel to all four synthesizer channels. Their signal will be activated, when setting the VCO WAVE switch (21) to “EXT.”

TIP:You will get good results with FM, when the Carrier is modulated with a sinewave. Although the oscillators of the PERFOURMER have no sine wave, you can easily create a sine by filtering a square wave. Set the KEYTRACK to 100% (see also VCF section above), for having the same proportion between pitch and CUTOFF frequency over a wide key range. The modulation signal will be taken before the volume controller of a synthesizer channel. So the modulation also works, when the synthesizer channel is set to volume 0.

TIP:You can feed the inputs of the PERFOURMER with internal signals I.e. if you connect the OUT jack of one synthesizer channel with the input jack of the next, you can create a synthesizer that has two envelopes and two LFOs. Use the envelope generator of the first synthesizer channel for the VCF and set the VCA MODE (25) to ON or GATE. The envelope generator of the second channel can be used for modulating the VCA. The filters of the two synthesizer channels are now connected in a row, if you set their CUTOFF frequency equal, you’ll get a low pass filter with 48dB/octave.

You can use the Perfourmer as up to four filter banks. Each bank can process it's own signal or you can send the same signal to multiple filters. You can trigger the EGs manually but there is no envelope follower.

Using it polyphonically is interesting because it is impossible to get all four voices to sound the same. This is an advantage in some cases, but can also be very annoying in others

It gets high marks from me for having the power switch and MIDI setup controls on the front panel rather than the rear. The only real downside is the limitations of the synth voice: no PWM, no mixing of waveforms, only one EG.

As far as "worth it" I think the current price is a bit steep for a synth that works best as an extra flavor rather than a primary go-to HW synth. By comparison, either the DSI Tetra or Prophet 08 would make more sense to me today than a Perfourmer (when I bought mine four years ago, those DSI synths didn't exist).

I listened to Hatfield and the North at Rainbow. They were very wonderful and they made my heart a prisoner.

space6oy wrote:i'm digging mine, but am not sure i'm gonna hang onto it, sort of because of my mono/poly... they're similar in their four individual VCOs, though the perfourmer is literally four complete monophonic synths whereas the mono/poly has tune / octave / waveform & level controls for each VCO but they share LFO, EG & filter. regardless, perfourmer does sound great, once you get it tuned up.

That's awesome that it can be able to used as 4 filterbanks

I also have the option to get a monopoly from eBay for about 700 euros...would you recommend it over the perfourmer then? The Perfourmer I'm looking at is about 885.

I'm comparing the two through Youtube - terrible way to compare, I know. But the Perfourmer just has more of "that" sound to me. Maybe I'm just watching crappy videos though.

meatballfulton wrote:You can use the Perfourmer as up to four filter banks. Each bank can process it's own signal or you can send the same signal to multiple filters. You can trigger the EGs manually but there is no envelope follower.

Using it polyphonically is interesting because it is impossible to get all four voices to sound the same. This is an advantage in some cases, but can also be very annoying in others

It gets high marks from me for having the power switch and MIDI setup controls on the front panel rather than the rear. The only real downside is the limitations of the synth voice: no PWM, no mixing of waveforms, only one EG.

As far as "worth it" I think the current price is a bit steep for a synth that works best as an extra flavor rather than a primary go-to HW synth. By comparison, either the DSI Tetra or Prophet 08 would make more sense to me today than a Perfourmer (when I bought mine four years ago, those DSI synths didn't exist).

That is pretty disconcerting about the inability to mix the voices effectively - but then again, the dissonance might appeal to my tastes more...

I've thought about the DSI's for a while now, and I'm just not that impressed with their sound. Something about them just doesn't "click" with me - but maybe I'm just listening to people play crappy presets.

space6oy wrote:i'm digging mine, but am not sure i'm gonna hang onto it, sort of because of my mono/poly... they're similar in their four individual VCOs, though the perfourmer is literally four complete monophonic synths whereas the mono/poly has tune / octave / waveform & level controls for each VCO but they share LFO, EG & filter. regardless, perfourmer does sound great, once you get it tuned up.

That's awesome that it can be able to used as 4 filterbanks

I also have the option to get a monopoly from eBay for about 700 euros...would you recommend it over the perfourmer then? The Perfourmer I'm looking at is about 885.

I'm comparing the two through Youtube - terrible way to compare, I know. But the Perfourmer just has more of "that" sound to me. Maybe I'm just watching crappy videos though.

meatballfulton wrote:You can use the Perfourmer as up to four filter banks. Each bank can process it's own signal or you can send the same signal to multiple filters. You can trigger the EGs manually but there is no envelope follower.

Using it polyphonically is interesting because it is impossible to get all four voices to sound the same. This is an advantage in some cases, but can also be very annoying in others

It gets high marks from me for having the power switch and MIDI setup controls on the front panel rather than the rear. The only real downside is the limitations of the synth voice: no PWM, no mixing of waveforms, only one EG.

As far as "worth it" I think the current price is a bit steep for a synth that works best as an extra flavor rather than a primary go-to HW synth. By comparison, either the DSI Tetra or Prophet 08 would make more sense to me today than a Perfourmer (when I bought mine four years ago, those DSI synths didn't exist).

That is pretty disconcerting about the inability to mix the voices effectively - but then again, the dissonance might appeal to my tastes more...

I've thought about the DSI's for a while now, and I'm just not that impressed with their sound. Something about them just doesn't "click" with me - but maybe I'm just listening to people play crappy presets.

perfourmer vs. mono/poly, really a tough call. i've actually debated letting my mono/poly go too, awesome synth but just doesn't see enough use... differences aside, i do think the mono/poly is capable of a wider variety of sounds, though the perfourmer's VCO's seem i guess stronger? also just to be clear the perfourmer DOES have multiple EG's, one per each voice. just doesn't have multiple per voice or for all four together.

Tryptamine wrote:What is your budget? If money is not an issue i suggest your get an Alesis Andromeda. It really is the best analog synth around.

The Korg MP-4 is better used these days as a monosynth. I can see its appeal as an affordable option as a mono and poly rolled into one for the hobbyist musician in the early 80's. When in poly mode, each of the Mono/Poly's 4 oscillators can produce independent pitches, but al share the same filter, making is somewhat paraphonic.

As someone already mentioned, the DSI Tetra would be a better option at the prices you're already looking at. Even a Korg DW-8000 or its rack version, EX-8000, would be something to consider as well.

I went ahead and bought the Vermona Perfourmer. It's just got "that" sound I'm looking for, hands down. I guess they're right when they say you should follow your first instinct.

And like Z said, the MonoPoly seems far more suited as a monosynth (at least from what I heard in the videos I watched. I hate having to use Youtube as a benchmark, but it's all I got.) Maybe at some point I'll cave and buy a Tetra - probably when they get around to making a KB version. But for now I'm content with the uniqueness of the Perfourmer, even if it has a few drawbacks. The fact that it doubles as a bunch of filterbanks more than makes up for that I think

Looks like the Novation ReMote SL and mixer will have to wait. Thanks for all the input, everyone.

Dubersive wrote:I've thought about the DSI's for a while now, and I'm just not that impressed with their sound. Something about them just doesn't "click" with me - but maybe I'm just listening to people play crappy presets.

Vermona Perfourmer IS NOT a poly synth...Tetra and P08 ARE poly synths...as for their sound...it's fantastic, if of course one gets his hands onto them and program the damn thing!

Dubersive wrote:I've thought about the DSI's for a while now, and I'm just not that impressed with their sound. Something about them just doesn't "click" with me - but maybe I'm just listening to people play crappy presets.

Vermona Perfourmer IS NOT a poly synth...Tetra and P08 ARE poly synths...as for their sound...it's fantastic, if of course one gets his hands onto them and program the damn thing!

oh whatever, technically yeah, it's four monophonic synths, but they're built into one unit controlled by one midi channel & it's polyphonic in that aspect.

Dubersive wrote:I've thought about the DSI's for a while now, and I'm just not that impressed with their sound. Something about them just doesn't "click" with me - but maybe I'm just listening to people play crappy presets.

Vermona Perfourmer IS NOT a poly synth...Tetra and P08 ARE poly synths...as for their sound...it's fantastic, if of course one gets his hands onto them and program the damn thing!

oh whatever, technically yeah, it's four monophonic synths, but they're built into one unit controlled by one midi channel & it's polyphonic in that aspect.

Isn't it also possible to buy a peripheral (or 2 or 3, depending) that would control all the goodies that normal polysynths have built in?

are you meaning midi controllers with assignable knobs / faders / etc to control elements that aren't already hands on? if so, obviously, but if you're talking about the perfourmer there's nothing more to it than what's already available.

space6oy wrote:are you meaning midi controllers with assignable knobs / faders / etc to control elements that aren't already hands on? if so, obviously, but if you're talking about the perfourmer there's nothing more to it than what's already available.

I was thinking something like the Vermona cross-fader, or similar - a peripheral which you plug the Perfourmer into which lets you control parameters which affect all 4 synths, instead of having to adjust each parameter individually on each one. Or maybe even a peripheral which adds what the Perfourmer lacks, like PWM.

Probably a stupid/newbish question, and I apologize in advance if it is

gotcha. no apology necessary, just didn't quite come across. of course you could run the perfourmer through whatever you want / feel it's missing, ie a master filter. yet another reason to get into modular...